A charitable pre-school was forced to close after the treasurer stole £37,000.

As teachers and staff at the Owl and Pussycat pre-school in Bapchild, near Sittingbourne, struggled in a leaky dilapidated mobile building Kerry Goldsmith was lining her pockets.

But the 49-year-old, of Laurence Close, Bapchild has avoided going straight to prison after admitting more than 26 fraud charges.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd told how she connived to keep her duplicity hidden by inventing a variety of deceptions, including bogus invoices for gifts, fake "sing-along" shows, computer repairs, Kent County Council demands, tax bills and payments to WeightWatchers where Goldsmith was a consultant.

She told the court: "The defendant was the treasurer of the pre-school for over 10 years. It was a voluntary role and she should not have received any income from it.

"She was trusted to look after the finances."

Ms Todd said that the deception came to light in 2018 after a change of officials and the new chairman found an invoice for a children's entertainer for a 2017 Christmas party - which had never happened.

Tonight, in an interview with KentOnline's podcast, the charity which ran the school branded its former treasurer despicable.

An audit was ordered which revealed "a plethora of forged invoices, letters and other documents."

Ms Todd continued: "Staff were horrified that she had been defrauding the school for so long, resulting in a loss of £37,921.23."

Treena Field joined the committee and was tricked into signing blank cheques so Goldsmith could pay the school bills "promptly".

The prosecutor said Mrs Field had been friends with Goldsmith for many years and trusted her and "it is obvious that the defendant tricked her colleague and friend."

Other colleagues revealed they now feel "betrayed", that staff morale is at "rock bottom" and the pre-school had to close and became part of a nearby school

Janine Ralph, who worked at the school for 17 years, wrote: "Caring for the children is why we do the job and it is upsetting that the defendant simply didn't care.

"She was well aware of what she was doing and that it would have a huge impact on the children and staff. She just carried on stealing from us and I will never understand how she could do that."

Another member of staff, Sally Stevens added: "I am totally shocked, upset and sickened. I feel so betrayed by Kerry.

"I find it hard to understand how anyone could do such a thing as callous and deceitful especially to a charity pre-school. She used her role simply to line her own pockets."

John Barker, defending, claimed Goldsmith had been in a bad marriage and has since divorced.

"I find it hard to understand how anyone could do such a thing as callous and deceitful.."

He said: "She expresses her remorse to all the staff through me. She had substantial debts but what she did was not to fund a lavish lifestyle or to buy expensive gifts and holidays.

"She was just trying to keep a roof over the head of her family."

He said she now faces having to sell her home to repay the money.

Judge Philip Statman said the 39-page pre-sentence probation report on her background was the "largest I have seen in 19 years as a judge".

"Your colleagues trusted you..."

He added: "Your mental health has been affected. But such hypocrisy. You thought you had got away with it.

"Your colleagues trusted you. They never thought for one minute that you would use the money on yourself."

He added that she would have gone straight to prison but for her three children, the youngest who was suffering from mental health issues.

She received a two year jail sentence suspended for two years and for the next six months she has to remain at her home between 9pm and 7am and wear an electronic ankle tag.

The judge then praised members of the charity - who attended the sentencing hearing - for the level of care and devotion they had shown to the children.

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